‘Wicked’ Sing-Alongs to Hit Theaters This Christmas
Another green, not-so-wicked musical icon is coming to steal Christmas back from the Grinch — but she prefers a broomstick over a sleigh.
As reported by Variety on Monday (Nov. 18), fans will have the ability to belt out “Defying Gravity,” “The Wizard & I” and more tunes from Wicked‘s soundtrack alongside the Witch of the West herself starting Dec. 25, when sing-along versions of the Jon M. Chu-directed flick are slated to hit roughly 1,000 theaters across North America. Exact locations and showtimes have yet to be finalized.
More from Billboard
The interactive screenings — which model similar sing-alongs hosted for movie musicals such as The Greatest Showman — will arrive just over a month after Wicked initially premieres in theaters Nov. 22 after more than three years in the making. That’s just Part 1, though; a second Wicked film is also in the works for a November 2025 release.
Both projects star Cynthia Erivo as the greenified Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, with Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage and Marissa Bode rounding out the cast. The films — which are inspired by the Broadway musical and Gregory Maguire novel of the same name — started production in 2021 and feature live onscreen vocal takes of Stephen Schwartz’s famous score, including “Popular,” “What Is This Feeling?” and “Dancing Through Life.”
Leading up to Wicked‘s premiere, the cast has been busy attending various premieres all over the world: Sydney, Los Angeles, New York City, Mexico City and, most recently, London. The project has also had one of the most active press cycles in recent history, with behind-the-scenes footage, lyric videos, numerous interviews, a new Xfinity commercial and more all rolling out in the past week alone. Wicked has also partnered this year with everything from the 2024 Olympics to the “Yes, And?” singer’s R.E.M. Beauty line, Mattel and Crocs.
Premiere week also featured a Tonight Show appearance from Grande, who recalled to host Jimmy Fallon, “When they called me to tell me I had the part, I had one heart attack. That was the first one. And then they told me I was going to be playing opposite Cynthia Erivo, that was the second heart attack. And then I died and I’m dead. And I’m dead here. And I’m still dead.”
Best of Billboard
Sign up for Billboard's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
